Sharapova Optimistic Despite Failed Comeback

There's no denying that Maria Sharapova is one of the most spoken names in the world of tennis. It's not just because of her sweet charm, but also due to her prowess in the sport. And now that she's back after a 15-month-long doping ban, the Russian was set to take what's hers — the 2017 U.S. Open crown.

Unfortunately, her campaign resulted in a big failure on her part. Despite it being her first grand slam after her suspension, it seems like her rest wasn't enough to gather up her bearing once more. This is after Anastasija Sevastova defeated the Russian last Sunday, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

Sharapova Still Has High Hopes

The 30-year-old says in a statement that it feels very good to be back at the sport she loves most. Sharapova, despite her unexpected loss against the underdog Sevastova, still managed to bring out an invigorating smile to her fans.

The betting favored had Sharapova as the clear favorite with a strong -290 odds. Meanwhile, Sevastova got odds of +245. The former 2014 French Open champion states that she learned a lot from her recent game.

According to her, she's proud of what she has accomplished in the U.S. Open even if she was short of victory. The reason behind it, she says, is because she did her best and that she's extremely proud of it.

Wozniacki Throws Criticisms at Maria

But as smooth as the loss went out for Sharapova, she still wasn't safe from the critics. One of which comes from an unlikely source — her fellow tennis player, Caroline Wozniacki. According to the Danish player, Sharapova was clearly given a preferential treatment regarding the matches' schedule.

Wozniacki implies that the 30-year-old had all the advantages she had in her comeback, but still failed to pull it off. The 2015 Diamond Aces awardee was talking about the wild card that Sharapova was given.

This wild card was the reason which made her eligible to participate in the season's last grand slam. Sharapova's response was as classy and professional as her reputation. The tennis star simply says that she's through and well "beyond" all those issues.

Wozniacki's statements were in stark contrast with the player who beat Sharapova. Sevastova wasn't shy of talking about the issue as soon as she won the tournament. The Latvian even commended Sharapova with high respect, saying that she was worthy of getting a wild card.

What's Next for Maria Sharapova?

Maria Sharapova sure had her own ups and downs throughout her illustrious 13-year career. And now that she's turning 31-year-old, she has now grown into becoming more of an accomplished and mature tennis player.

She spoke about it in an interview where she says that her performance on the court is what really matters to her at this stage of her life. And even though she has accomplished a lot of milestones, she still feels the desire to keep going for more.

The tennis star went on to say that she draws inspiration from many tennis champions who are still competing effectively late in their careers. Maria calls it inspiring to see such things like that. Sharapova concluded her statement by saying that desire is what fuels her passion to continue playing.

With this, one can clearly see that Sharapova will show no signs of slowing down especially that she might well be at the peak of her career. Now all she has to do is to boost her rankings in order for her to get a wild card in the 2018 Australian Open.

Even though there is still no official confirmation that she'll participate, she gets an early strong 7/1 odd. Sharapova takes the third betting odds spot next to Muguruza's 6/1 and Kerber's 7/1 odds. If all goes well, then there's no doubt that the 30-year-old Russian would take part in 2018 Wimbledon.

But nonetheless, the whole world is expecting that she'll participate in the games, which is why Wimbledon betting information can now be seen everywhere. One of these is the 10/1 odds that Sharapova will play in London next year.

With this in mind, it's safe to say that the Russian favorite is going to participate in next year's Australian Open. Let's just hope that she wouldn't be entangled with the unpleasant situations that might cause another situation.

Maria Sharapova sure still has a lot in store for her fans all over the globe.